Best of Reader Comments: "Unworkable" rights for contractors?

European proposals to give temporary workers the same rights as permanent employees have been branded "unworkable" by IT employment agencies and have provoked a storm of comment from silicon.com users.

Under the directive, temporary workers would be given the right to have the same pay, pensions, holiday cover, health insurance, interest free loans, share schemes and other benefits as long-term employees doing similar jobs.

Here's a selection of your comments with readers split largely into two camps. Keep the debate going by adding a reader comment at the bottom of the story.

Temp and contract
From: Ian James Standish-Leigh

"Someone really should tell Brussels to stop sprouting off over something that's not their business."

EU Meddling
From: Russell Coombes

"It seems to me that the EU doesn't understand the need for flexibility within the labour market, and will happily categorise every employee under the same banner while imposing rules and regulations on said category.

"As a contractor myself, it makes me angry that unelected, unaccountable foreign leaders are planning to make decisions about the way I and the businesses that employ me operate without any consultation and discussion. It is bad enough having to fight the 'small business destroying' Labour Government without having to fight the EU too!"

More EU meddling
From: John Waters

"Despite the declarations of Europe's political leaders that they want to improve Europe's sclerotic labour market, sadly the bureaucrats continue in their same old ways of imposing more red tape. The European Commission always seems incapable of looking around and learning from the world's successful economies. We can only hope that some common sense intervenes as the proposed directive is developed."

Announcing a new way to remove British competitive edge
From: Jim Symcox

"The proposed legislation is a further example of the way the EC meddles in the commercial life of its member countries. Really the EC should not be proposing laws that certain countries will welcome. Mainly because they won't bother implementing them while we in Britain do and accumulate the dross of commercial red tape."

Workhouse of the 18th and 19th century
From: Eddie Hotchkiss

"Mr Bevan sounds a right plank, take it or leave it is no collective bargaining, it is just pure bullying.

"My wife works in a call centre, BT, and the amount of people shown the door on the whim of the manager is unbelievable, no right of appeal, no right of redress, sometimes no plausible explanation - your face doesn't fit.

"Sorry to say it may keep costs down, but these people need protecting and companies need to know that they can't have their cake and eat it."

Not before time
From: Anon

"It is about time something was done about greedy fat cat bosses cheating the workforce and the country, employing agency slave labour."

Some balance!
From: Ex BT

Well if contractors are being hit by IR35 and get the responsibilities of permanent staff, then they potentially should get the rights as well!